We all have “People Power” if we get together and campaign.
One of my favourite slabs of 7” vinyl in my record box is People Power by Billy Paul.
I believe that active and vocal communities can bring a sense of empowerment to the wider community and can engender positive change and make things happen that politicians can’t immediately see the value of.
The press last week was full of uplifting “people power”. One that stood out for me was the “sHell No” Kayaktivists. A great environmental cause, with a great slogan in “sHell no” and a self styled moniker Kayaktivisits…genius.
It reminded me of the minor trouble we got into in the early 90s when our first brand Red or Dead had a go at Shell with this T Shirt.
Then there was so called “flat pack democracy” (not sure I like that moniker… it’s open to ridicule) as being carried out in Frome where people are taking local politics into their own hands. Reminds me of what happens in some Scandinavian towns and cities and reminds me of how having a vocal and youthful council members allowed Boscombe to start to walk with a swagger and decry those stuck in the mud naysayers.
The third story that took my eye was the hotel staffed by refugees in Vienna.
This is proper decent human thinking and possibly great marketing to boot. Time to put on that Billy Paul record again.